Kyle O'Reilly is ready to renew his career-long rivalry with Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver [Exclusive]

Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole have been friends and enemies before and did battle all over the globe before joining NXT. They've been linked to one another throughout most of their professional wrestling careers.

However, this Thursday night at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, these two men are going to bring something to the WWE audience that they have not seen before.

The former Undisputed Era members are set to meet in an unsanctioned match on Thursday night. It's the culmination of a bitter rivalry that saw Cole turn on his longtime friend at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day. He even took O'Reilly out of action for a few weeks following a vicious suplex on the steel ring steps.

Kyle O'Reilly spoke to SK Wrestling this week and said if you haven't seen him and Adam Cole square off in the past, then buckle up.

"If anyone has paid close attention to myself and Adam's careers before NXT or just in NXT, you've seen that no matter where we are on the card or TakeOver or TV, we bring our absolute best and our passion. And we try our damnedest to steal the show and put on an unforgettable performance. I think Thursday will be no different."

The passion and hatred that has fueled this rivalry, coupled with the pure in-ring talent of both competitors, gives this match all the ingredients it needs to be an absolute classic. While these two men have wrestled before, a lot has changed since their ROH days that took them all the way to Wrestle Kingdom 11.

"I think we're both much more polished performers. We're both smarter, we're more seasoned, we're more comfortable. And this is NXT. Like we're in the big leagues now. So it's a completely different animal than it was, you know, in the Reseda Legion Hall with 300 people watching. Right? So it's a huge opportunity. More eyes are on us than ever before. I'm excited, man. I'm excited for people to see what Kyle O'Reilly can truly bring to the table. Now that he's, for lack of a better term, on his own."

Kyle O'Reilly says he is fully prepared to go out on his shield this Thursday against Adam Cole. It's a match he never thought would happen in NXT, but he's fully ready for whatever comes next now that the Undisputed Era is finished.

Was now the right time for Kyle O'Reilly to go solo in NXT?

After a dominating run on NXT for the better part of the last four years, it appears that the Undisputed Era has fractured for good. It's a move that many fans hoped they would never see, but as is the case with many things in life, all good things usually come to an end.

Kyle O'Reilly spoke to SK Wrestling about the group breaking up, and whether or not now it was the right time to go their separate ways.

"It's hard to say. I mean, I never thought that would happen. I thought the Undisputed Era was going to be the group that stayed together forever, but... it's just the nature of the beast and nothing gold can stay Ponyboy. So, you know, of course that's just the way it went down. I just got to take it as it comes and accept it, that that's happened. And just to move on with my career and try to evolve myself a performer and try and grow as a character and keep trying to innovate and be unique and be special. Just be entertaining and be good at professional wrestling, and that's what I pride myself on doing."

All four members of the Undisputed Era are now free to walk their own path. For Adam Cole, it's all about regaining that top spot and solidifying himself as the greatest superstar in the history of the black and gold brand. Kyle O'Reilly is out to prove he's just as good as Adam Cole - Bay Bay.

"Kyle is definitely a better tag team wrestler than he is a singles competitor... @KORcombat can definitely get the job done. It's a shame he's turned into such an idiot though."Is that 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 a compliment, @AdamColePro? Thanks for the Q, @SInow! #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/hijCsUJXN4

— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2021

"Of course an opportunity for the NXT Championship again, is always going to be on the back of my mind. To maybe become the NXT Champion, I mean, that's something that the dreams are made of, but it would be foolish of me to look past Thursday. I know how dangerous Adam Cole is. I know what he brings to the table. So a hundred percent of my focus is on securing victory Thursday, and then whatever comes after that, we'll see."

In addition to his match on Thursday, Kyle O'Reilly says he's very curious to see the outcome of the NXT Championship match between Finn Balor and Karrion Kross. He said he was very proud of his two matches with The PrinXe but he is seeking another chance at redemption.

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver will be two nights. The event gets underway at 8pm EST tonight on the USA Network.

Make sure to check out PART ONE of our conversation with Kyle O'Reilly in the video above. Also, make sure to subscribe to the Sportskeeda Wrestling YouTube Channel so you can keep an eye out for PART TWO when it drops later this week.